Friday, September 27, 2013

Mumbai: A 4-storey residential building collapsed on Friday on the Dockyard road in south Mumbai, killing 25 people and injuring 32 others. Around 30 people have been rescued so far.

The incident raised questions over whether Mumbai\'s Municipal Corporation ignored repeated warnings about the safety of the Dockyard building that collapsed yesterday.

The building owned by Brihanmumnai Municipal Corporation has registered a police case against one \'Mamamiyan Decorator\' who had a godown in the ground floor for illegal construction. It has also ordered an audit of all similar buildings in the city.

Four of the deceased have been identified as Lakhoji Devji Chawda (60), Jamuna Chawda (30) Anil Chawda (19) and Santosh (44). The injured have been admitted to the state-run JJ Hospital and Nair Hospital.

About 21 families, who were BMC\'s tenants, lived in the 30-year-old structure. It was categorised as a C-2 building, which meant that it was in need of urgent repairs.

The kin of the missing wailed as a heavy machinery lifted large slabs of concrete and rescue workers looked for the dead or survivors under the rubbles of the building.

The building is located on Brahmadev Khot Marg near Babu Genu market in the Mazgaon area, which is close to the Dockyard Road railway station on the harbour railway line.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan held a meeting with senior officials and asked them to ensure effective relief and rescue operation. He also visited the site of the collapse to review rescue operations.

\"The rescue operation is a slow and painful process because people are stuck inside. Due to RCC slabs there are many air pockets and cavities where people are stuck and are alive. After 15-16 hours there are still people who are brought out alive,\" he said.

The affected families would be given alternative accommodation in the vicinity. It has also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the family of the deceased. News From: http://www.7StarNews.com